Abbie Chatfield has weighed in on Married At First Sight bride Lauren Hall’s demeanour after her groom Eliot Donovan made a shock exit from the show on Wednesday night.
The business owner, 35, blindsided his bride, 37, when he sensationally quit the show after throwing a tantrum and saying he wanted to be paired with a woman who was ‘under 30’.
While several fans have applauded Lauren for keeping ‘calm’ as her groom stormed off set during their K’Gari Island honeymoon in Queensland, Abbie empathised with the bride and gave a rather surprising take on her ‘trad wife’ beliefs.
The former reality star, 29, suggested Lauren’s adherence to traditional gender roles is a coping mechanism stemming from a childhood marked by a lack of safety and protection.
‘I think this Trad wife shit is a trauma response for her. I think she had never felt safe in her childhood,’ Abbie said on her recap of the show.
The former Bachelor star also hinted that her beliefs could stem from her bullying sister, Tamara, which makes her seek security through a strict set of rules in her relationship.
Abbie Chatfield (pictured) has weighed in on Married At First Sight bride Lauren Hall’s demeanour after her groom Eliot Donovan made a shock exit from the show on Wednesday
The business owner, 35, blindsided his bride, 37, when he sensationally quit the show after throwing a tantrum and saying he wanted to be paired with a woman who was ‘under 30’
‘She was getting bullied by her sister, as we still see to this day, she didn’t feel safe or protected, and all she wants is to be protected,’ Abbie added.
‘She thinks the only way that she can get that protection isn’t through herself, it’s through finding a man that she has a rule book that she can follow, and she can go, “If I do all these things, I won’t have to worry about anything because I have a man that protects me, takes care of me, and if I’m a good girl, then everything will work out and I’ll be okay again” – that this is her ticket out of feeling unsafe and anxious.’
Abbie went on to imply that Lauren’s desire for control and protection isn’t genuine and is masked by her desire for a traditional role in a relationship.
‘So she wants someone else to be in control, because she just wants a fairy tale. But I don’t think she actually wants that at all.’
Eliot’s sudden departure left Lauren questioning what went wrong as the pair initially got along when they first met at the altar.
However, cracks began to show as they navigated their early days as husband and wife.
Sources close to production claimed Lauren was committed to making the relationship work, but Eliot struggled to connect on a deeper level and felt it was unfair to continue the experiment when his heart wasn’t in it.
Lauren is expected to address Eliot’s departure at an upcoming dinner party episode, with insiders teasing an emotional confrontation between the pair.
While several fans have applauded Lauren for keeping ‘calm’ as her groom stormed off set during their K’Gari Island honeymoon in Queensland , Abbie empathised with the bride and gave a rather surprising take on her ‘trad wife’ beliefs
Eliot’s sudden departure left Lauren questioning what went wrong as the pair initially got along when they first met at the altar
Eliot broke his silence about his shock exit from the show on Thursday, revealing to Daily Mail Australia the real reason he chose to walk away from his TV marriage.
He explained his departure wasn’t due to any major fallout or lack of physical attraction, but rather because he didn’t see a long-term future with Lauren.
‘I left because I didn’t find love. I was there to find love, and I didn’t see a future with Lauren,’ he admitted.
‘Yeah, of all the reasons to leave, I think that’s a pretty fair one. It wasn’t because of anything physically wrong with her or anything like that.
‘It was more just like a long-term thing, and I didn’t want to go through the motions and fight with this person for three months just to milk the opportunity.’
Eliot went on to say he was open to receiving the experts’ advice in some areas of his love life, there were some things he just wasn’t willing to compromise on.
‘Not for things like when it comes to having a family and stuff. I didn’t wanna change… what I wanted. Do you know what I mean?’ he said.
‘If it was something like, oh, we argue a lot, and that’s a problem, a hundred percent I’d be open to hearing their wisdom about, “Oh, look, this is a way that you can communicate better.”
Lauren will eventually get a second wedding and is paired with professional golfer Clint Rice
‘It was more just the fact that we had different goals in mind. So, one of us is going to have to change what we wanted dramatically.’
As previously reported by Daily Mail Australia, Eliot is set to make a sensational comeback which will leave both his estranged bride and fellow contestants reeling.
His return comes after Lauren is paired with a new partner, professional golfer Clint Rice.
Insiders revealed the cast and crew were in a state of disbelief when Eliot suddenly reappeared on set, arriving late for the dinner party.
‘It was like the ultimate plot twist,’ a source close to the show dished.
‘Lauren and Clint had just started to get comfortable with each other when Eliot showed up out of the blue.
‘The look on Lauren’s face was priceless. She was completely gobsmacked. And Clint? He was not impressed at all. Clint let Eliot absolutely have it.’
According to a well-placed insider, Eliot’s return wasn’t just about mending fences with Lauren.
‘Eliot feels like he was misunderstood. He’s back to clear his name, but isn’t apologetic about his behaviour,’ the source said.
‘Him and Lauren were a complete mismatch, and hasn’t changed his mind about wanting out of their romance.’
Lauren, who was left heartbroken by Eliot’s abrupt departure, has been navigating her new relationship with Clint, who is known for his cool demeanour under pressure.
‘Lauren and Clint were really starting to hit it off,’ the insider continued.
‘Clint’s been a rock for her, and she’s been enjoying the fresh start. Eliot’s return has definitely thrown a wrench in the works.’
Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine and 9Now
